Brad Childress Fired: Which NFL Head Coach Will Be Fired Next?

In the NFL today, the head coaching position is an integral key to a team's ultimate success. If you look at the league's elite teams, they all have great coaches—the Bill Belichicks, the Andy Reids, the Mike Tomlins.

On the flip side, there are a select few who simply can't manage to get the job done. As a result, organizations have shown no mercy in the high-demand business and have fired coaches at will.

In fact, we've already witnessed former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress be given walking papers.

There is a small group of coaches still remaining that could be fired, and the top five appear to be San Francisco 49ers' Mike Singletary, Cincinnati Bengals' Marvin Lewis, Denver Broncos' Josh McDaniels, Carolina Panthers' John Fox and Houston Texans' Gary Kubiak.

That said, here is my evaluation of each coach and my opinion on who will be fired first.

Note: I have five categories in which I will rank the six coaches from 1-5(1 being bad, and 5 being the worst). Yes, nobody on this list is good. Whomever has the highest score will mathematically be the head coach that will and should be fired first.

Relationship With Owner

When a franchise is in sync from top to bottom in terms of a team vision, it can lead to great things. For that to occur, there must be a strong relationship between the coaching staff and ownership.

1. Gary Kubiak

2. Marvin Lewis

3. John Fox

4. Josh McDaniels

5. Mike Singletary

None of these head coaches have had any significant issues with their management. However, I give the edge to Mike Singletary because 49ers President Jed York hasn't been afraid to pull the trigger—he went ahead and fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye just three weeks into the season.

Fan Opinion

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Interestingly enough, a fan's perspective on a coach can play a factor into whether or not he keeps his job. Organizations need to maintain their fans and simply can't continue to go against their will without justification.

1. John Fox

2. Gary Kubiak

3. Marvin Lewis

4. Mike Singletary

5. Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels has been the victim of immense hate from his team's fanbase.

Websites have been launched, petitions have been created, and there is tremendous buzz surrounding the hope that the head coach will be fired.

Decision-Making

A major role of an NFL head coach is to make wise decisions, either by changing up the roster or making the right calls in the game.

1. Marvin Lewis

2. Gary Kubiak

3. John Fox

T-4. Josh McDaniels

T-4. Mike Singletary

Honestly, these two coaches have been so bad in terms of decision-making that they've separated themselves from the pack.

Mike Singletary may have been able to motivate players such as tight end Vernon Davis, but he's done a horrible job in terms of dealing with the quarterback situation, and utilizing his offensive talent to the best of its ability.

Meeting Expectations

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Heading into the season, tentative expectations are set for each team. For some, they are projected to be Super Bowl contenders. Others are poised to get over the hump and into the playoffs. And a few have little to no expecations to start with.

However, when a team begins to fail to meet those expectations, the head coach is usually the first to blame and subsequently the first to be given the boot.

1. Josh McDaniels

2. John Fox

3. Marvin Lewis

4.Mike Singletary

5. Gary Kubiak

In Gary Kubiak's case, falling short of expectations has been his general problem. Despite the Texans' clear talent on paper, they've been unable to plunge into the playoffs and now the chances that they'll do so this year are slim to none. This season, they've lost six of their last eight, sending them to a dismal 4-6.

Moreover, Singletary and Lewis were set to be competitive in their respective divisions, yet have struggled to do so thus far.

Who Will Be Fired Next?

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As you can see, there are several factors that go into whether or not a head coach will be fired. In addition, it has been proven on numerous occasions that the NFL is a "what have you done for me lately" league.

Based on each of these coaches' performance thus far, I wouldn't be surprised to see all of them fired before next season.

Nonetheless, here is the final outcome of my evaluation. ( ) = number of points [25 max]

5. Gary Kubiak (11) = 44 percent likely to be fired

4. John Fox (12) = 48 percent likely to be fired

3. Marvin Lewis (14) = 56 percent likely to be fired

2. Josh McDaniels (17) = 68 percent likely to be fired

1. Mike Singletary (22) = 88 percent likely to be fired

I wouldn't say it's guaranteed that Mike Singletary gets fired, but I've certainly lost all faith in him.